Homeschooling… Or Not

It’s not that I’m indecisive or that I love latching on to the newest thing, but more that my perspective is constantly changing. As is often in parenting, something that works perfectly one day will simply not work at all the next. I think that it’s a good thing to be able to admit that something isn’t working and try something new. So on with the announcement!

I’m not planning on homeschooling my children.

It’s an idea I’ve been toying with for a while. My husband has never really been on board, but I was convinced that if I was determined enough that I could convince him. Really, that’s how a lot of our parenting decisions have worked. I do the research and relay it to him and it changes his perspective. I fell in love with the idea of unschooling (something I still plan on incorporating into our daily lives) and started to plan out what it would be like to take the girls’ learning into my hands.

And I was terrified.

The idea of being 100% responsible for their learning. The idea of having them home with me 100% of the time for however many years. The idea of trying to finish my own schooling while doing all of this. It all turned me into a big ball of stress. So I decided that, at least for our current situation, it’s not in the cards.

It feels like I’m breaking some rule by deciding this (I suppose this could fit under the “I’m a natural parent… but” carnival?). I’m going against those who go against the grain! How can I be a natural/attachment parent without homeschooling? How can my children get the education they deserve from someone else?

It’s pretty simple. What works for other families may not work for mine. It’s me making the best decision for our family. Just as some parents wouldn’t be able to handle staying at home with small children *cough*myhusband*cough*, I am one of those who can’t handle homeschooling. I have nothing against homeschooling. The parents that do it are wonderful people and educate their children in fantastic ways. I’m just against homeschooling for me. And that’s okay.

So, I started Peanut in a preschool again. Actually, the preschool she used to attend on my campus. As shown by my scattered posts to this blog, life is a little stressful right now, as it often gets in the middle of a semester. It means that not only am I stressed about getting school work done, but I don’t feel like I’m getting as much done for Peanut’s learning. When I started looking for what we plan on doing next year (I’ll be taking classes on campus again) it turned out there was an opening for now.

So I decided to take it and try to help myself with some of the stress from school and take care of her learning at the same time. She started yesterday and loved it so much that she didn’t want to leave at the end. I had a bit of time with just one child to deal with while I was studying for my physiology test. It’s 2.5 hours 4 times a week, which I’m sure at times will stress me out (there are advantages and disadvantages to every situation), but for now it’s what’s working for us. And that’s all that really matters.

I have actually decided the same thing so I totally get where you are coming from! I think I will be a better assistant than full time teacher and Mom. The great thing is, if school doesn’t work for us, we can change our minds! 😉

So glad I’m not alone on this one. I can’t tell you how many guilt ridden days I have spent about our educational choices. As a mother of 5 under 8, all I can say is that I am a better mom because I send my kids to school. By that, I do not mean that I am superior to homeschooling moms, FAR from it. Some of the women I admire most homeschool their children. I simply mean that I am a better mom to my children because they spend time away from me learning from other adults. Who knows if that will change down the road, we’ll cross that chasm when we come to it. All I know is that struggling with my third grader to get his homework and reading done is proof enough for me that we made the right choice not to homeschool for now.

I like the “I’m a better mom because I send my kids to school.” That’s exactly what I mean! There are plenty of moms who can not only handle homeschooling, but do it wonderfully. I’m just not one of them.